Sunday, May 3, 2015

Donnybrook AAR - Reconnaissance

The tranquility before the storm

Time to return to the French Indian war. As usual we use the Donnybrook rules, bassically large scale skirmishing. It's quick, easy and fun. Most of the photos have been taken by Pål who is my usual opponent in these games. He has recently helped Micke with photos for an article in the latest issue of Wargames, Soldiers and Strategy. (Issue 78). It's an article about the medieval Danish Queen Philippa and the Hanseatic legue.

This particular AAR is based on a game that we played a few weeks back. Due to other commitments, amount them helping my friend Micke(Dalauppror) stage his game at Salute 2015, there were no postings last week. I can however recommend you all to pay a visit to his blog. I suspect that many of you have already done so...

This game scenario started up as an idea to create some kind of scouting mission. It turned out to be something very different.

The battlefield

The basic set up is as follows....

The table is divided into three sections of equal size. A small objective marker is placed in each section. In this game we placed them in the middle of each sector. This may have been the reason the game turned out the way it did. Some kind of random placing mechanism needs to be invented. An other sollution is to just place the objectives on terrain pieces that seems to be best suited to be placed that needs some serious reconaissance.

The basic idea is to scout each sector. This is done by being the first that reached the objective marker and at the same time succed with a basic ability die roll. This means, using the Donnybrook rules, that a drilled unit needs to score to score 6 on a d8, a veteran unit 6 on a d10 and so forth. The attempt to scout the objective is full action. No other activity is allowed while scouting. Thus you need to rech the spot on one move and then in the next move do the scouting.

Scoring

In this game we gave two victory point to each objective succcesfully explored. Only one side can claim a particular objective. If a unit or a character is wiped out then this gives the successful side one victory point.

The narrative

Captain Castroulle and his henchmen of feral French (more or less regular) Infantry, woodsmen and
Injuns are planning to to probe the Anglo- American defenses along the Pnaumuxet River.

The Streets of New Cafarnaum...soon to be a battlefield

Advancing French Marines...

Captain Castroulle is the one waving the hat, behind the rest..a courageous man indeed

Mohawks allied to the Anglo- Americans advance through the settlement towards the French

Hurons and British regulars fight it out just outside the settlement

Rangers soon to back up the British regulars

The Militia that twarted Captain Castroulle

Near the settlement of New Cafarnaum they start to see the signs that an opposite force of Gin sipping villans are gathering strenth. They start to advance towards the village. However a old crone in the village spots the approaching French forces and is able to raise the alarm. The local militia is called out. The militia manage to turn the remains of an old French into a makeshift defense work. As Captain Castroulle and his regulars advance towards the village they are greeted with a hail of bullets from and an angry and well armed mob( that is what Cpt Castroulle calls the militia in his official report a few days later). In the meantime a group of Huron and Algonqin warriors tries to approaching the village from another flank. They soon run into Brittish regulars( who must have been nearby already) and a group Rangers. The fierce battle that follows is a bloodthirsty one. The Indians manage to fullfill their mission and they do reach their objective. However casualties on both sides
were heavy.

Captain Castroulle force( French regulars and compagnie de Marine) and a few scouts sent ahead ( Coreur de Bois) were stuck in firefights with the local militia. As the day reached noon both sides saw the futility of it all and the French withdraw unopposed to their original position. The fight was draw. The French did reach some of their objectives, but the casualties were to high to claim a victory. The Anglo- Americans saved their settlement, but the enemy had good idea about the presence of Brittish forces. None of the two sides could say that this was success.

Conclusions

To summ it all up. I will try to tinker with this scenario a bit more. I wish to create something a scenario more focused on movement and tactics rather than a straight firefight.

Great looking minis and terrain - I really like that new three story building you've added recently to your collection. The tales of Cpt. Castroulle is entertaining as always, he is fast becoming my favorite anti-hero :0)